Mike Hancock News
MP says more must be done to help pensioners as many city senior citizens miss out
Following the publication of EU statistics that there are more pensioners in poverty in Britain than in any other leading European country, Mike Hancock has said that more must be done to help pensioners.
The European Commission statistics, published by Eurostat, place the UK's elderly among the worst in Europe, with 30% living on incomes far below the national average.
But Mr Hancock said he wasn't surprised by these statistics as it followed thirty years of neglect by both Tory and Labour Governments. In the early 80s, the then Conservative Government cut the link between earnings and the pension. A pensioner couple would now be over £2000 better off if they hadn't. And figures show that many pensioners and older people in Portsmouth don't claim help the help that they are entitled to. This can include pension credit - including for men aged 60 (as supposed to 65) or over. Housing benefit for those renting their homes. And the Warm Front scheme to improve heating and insulation including for those that both rent or own their homes.
The Labour Government has promised to restore the earnings link with the pension but have yet to do so. So Mike Hancock is calling for an immediate rise in the pension by £100 a month to the pension credit level.
2009 is also the 100th anniversary of the then Liberal Chancellor, Lloyd George's "People's Budget" which saw the introduction of the state pension. Mike says that we need a new "People's budget" to restore the earnings link with the pensions and give everyone a decent basic state pension. Meanwhile, Mike has also urged those over-60 to investigate the help that might be available to them.
Mike Hancock said: "If the Government can afford a huge pension for Sir Fred Goodwin, it can afford a decent standard of living for ordinary pensioners who have contributed to this country for countless years. I want to see the immediate restoration of the link between earnings and the state pension - starting with a £100 a month increase in the state pension. Figures show that millions of pensioners nationally are still missing out on the help that they are entitled to. Women are often also particularly hard done by and I would like to see us move towards a pension based on residency rather than national insurance contributions which will improve things for women. I had one case, highlighted to me, where one woman could have made additional voluntary national insurance contributions for the years just before she retired but because she didn't, she is a getting significantly reduced pension."
The figures published toady show that pensioner poverty is at the fourth highest level in Europe, the figures show. While the UK fared better than the 51% in Cyprus (51%), Latvia (33%), and Estonia (33%), the figures show British pensioners with 30% in poverty are worse off than Romania, where 19% fell below the poverty threshold, Poland (8%) and France (13%). Pensioners in the Czech Republic are least likely to be living in poverty, with 5% below the threshold of an income of 60% of the national median, according to the figures
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